Thousands flee Jakarta as floodwater rises (PHOTOS)
People wade through a flooded street in Jakarta.
BANGKOK, Thailand — An unusually harsh barrage of rain and shoddy infrastructure have conspired to turn Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, into a disaster zone.
The city's mayor on Thursday declared a state of emergency and, according to government figures, more than 100,000 people are displaced.
The coastal city's residents are accustomed to floods — monsoons routinely turn their side streets to rushing canals — but recent nonstop rains have put some districts under up to 9 feet of water.
Adding to Jakarta's flooding woes is a dike rupture near a crowded business district, the Jakarta Globe reports, and sightings of monitor lizards paddling through the murky waters.
This round of flooding, and perennial grumblings over Jakarta's overpopulation and poor infrastructure, follows a long-running political debate over the merits of moving the capital elsewhere.
The following is a photo gallery of scenes from the flooding.